Motor-compressor arrangement



y ,1938. F. SCHMIDT 2,124,433

MOTOR COMPRESSOR ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. 24, 1938 ITlVeTTL-OT Friedrich Schmidt,

1.)? 61$ fiis Abtmme utilizes combustion gases produced by Patented July 19, 1938 PATENT OFFICIE' 2,124,433 MOTOR-COMTRESSOR ARRANGEMENT Friedrich assignor poration of New York Application February 24,

v In Germany Schmidt, Berlin-Karlshorst, Germany, to General Electric Company, a cor- 1938, Serial No. 192,349

March 3, 1937 1 Claim. (01. 60-6) The present invention relates to compressor arrangements comprising a compressor or blower driven by a motor or prime mover and. arranged to supply compressed medium, such as air, to a consumer. More specifically the invention relates to the kind of arrangements in which such compressor furnishes air to a nitrogen fixation plant or like industrial apparatus consuming air and producing combustion gases as a by-product.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved arrangement of the type above specified whereby better economy and high efficiency at variable demand for air by the consumer are attained. This is accomplished in accordance with my invention by an arrangement which includes a gas turbine as an auxiliary or supplemental drive for the compressor which turbine is connected to receive the combustion gases produced as a by-product in the industrial apparatus and also a portion of the compressed air or medium discharged by the compressor during low load condition.

For a better understanding of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claim appended thereto in connection with the accompanying drawing.

The single figure of the drawing illustrates diagrammatically a compressor arrangement embodying my invention.

The arrangement comprises a centrifugal compressor Ill which has an inlet conduit H and a discharge scroll l2 and is driven through a gearing l3 by a prime mover, in the present instance an electric motor M. The discharge scroll I2 is connected by a conduit l5 to a consumer [6, such as a nitrogen fixation apparatus requiring compressed air during operation and producing combustion gases as a by-product. These combustion gases are conducted through a conduit II to the inlet of a gas turbine l8 arranged to drive the compressor ID. The turbine l8 thus the apparatus I6 for driving the compressor Ill, thereby reducing the amount of power required by the motor M.

The efficiency of the centrifugal blower l2 drops considerably with decreasing demand for compressed air by the apparatus Hi. In order to operate the centrifugal blower at full or normal load during varying demand for compressed air by the apparatus I6, I provide in accordance with myinvention means for conducting some of the air discharged from the compressor l2 to the gas turbine l8. This means in the present instance comprises two conduits, a conduit IS with a valve connected between the conduits l5 and I1 and another conduit 2| with a valve 22 connected between the conduits l5 and an intermediate stage of the gas turbine l8. During normal load conditions the valves 20 and 22 are closed. Upon decreasing demand for compressed air or like medium one of the valves 20 and 22 is opened to conduct some of the compressed air from the conduit I5 to the inlet or an intermediate stage respectively of the turbine [8. With this arrangement the centrifugal compressor Ill may be operated at all times with full load output and accordingly at maximum efficiency. If the demand for compressed air is high, all of the air is conducted to the apparatus l6 and if the demand for compressed air is low, some of it is used to drive the turbine l8.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A compressor arrangement comprising a contrifugal compressor, a motor for driving the compressor, an apparatus requiring compressed medium during operation and producing combustion gases as a byproduct, a conduit for conducting compressed medium from the compressor to the apparatus, a gas turbine having an inlet connected to the apparatus to receive combustion gases therefrom for driving the compressor, and conduit means for conducting during low load condition of the compressor some of the compressed medium to the gas turbine to permit operation of the compressor at maximum eniciency during varying load demand from the apparatus.

FRIEDRICH SCHMIDT. 

